Tag: Urban Wood Network

The Urban Wood Network (UWN), a network of independent businesses, organizations, municipalities and advocates who utilize urban wood, was brought into existence in 2018. Members were offered free membership for 2018 thanks to support from a USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry Landscape Scale Restoration Grant, and the Urban Wood Network established connections with over 150 members in more than 20 states, two Canadian provinces and Switzerland. With the completion of the grant, the UWN is relying on membership fees and sponsorships to provide the necessary funding to maintain and expand the Network. The 2019 membership fee has been set at $50 per entity and founding sponsors are being sought.

We’ve learned from experience that the only way to have a lasting
impact, to truly establish full circle urban forestry management, is to work
cooperatively from arborist to value-added manufacturer. A cohesive supply
chain is the only way to get the highest product from these trees. We want to
use our collective experiences to assist other businesses and other states to
join the urban wood industry.

Through the power of the network, UWN has been able to connect members with specific interests or needs with other members who have that expertise. UWN has also been able to connect members with technical resources outside of the network. In addition, UWN has connected members within the same state who were previously unaware of each other.

To date, UWN has been directed by representatives from
Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin who were partners in the grant
project. Going forward, a steering
committee will be formed to provide direction for UWN’s next steps. Each state that has 5 or more members will
elect a UWN Committee Representative for their state and those members not in a
state with five or more members will elect a Regional Representative. The US will be split into an eastern and
western region (based on the Mississippi River) and each region will elect one
committee member.

In 2018 UWN established the urbanwoodnetwork.org website and the “How To Do Urban Wood Webinar Series”: Webinar #1: Urban Tree Removals – Reducing Costs and Promoting Utilization, Webinar #2: Urban Lumber – How to Produce and Market It, Webinar #3: Producing Urban Wood Products – What, How and Where, and Webinar #4: Starting a State Urban Wood Network. These webinars are archived for viewing on the UWN website. New memberships, resources and webinars will be shared on the website as they are developed; UWN members will help identify topic areas of need.

UWN is hosting an Urban Wood Toolkit Webinar on January 30 at 1:00 PM EST which will provide participants with a set of resources developed by some of our Michigan members. These resources collectively make up the Urban Wood Toolkit. The toolkit guides urban wood advocates through the development of an urban wood plan for their community. The toolkit was produced with the assistance of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The UWN is a program of the Sustainable Resources Institute,
a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization specializing in natural resource
research, education, training and certification.

There has been little down time for the Urban Wood Network. Fresh off the heels of its well-received “How-to-Do Urban Wood” webinar series, UWN is organizing a special presentation focused on the new Urban Wood Toolkit assembled by our colleagues in Michigan. The free 90-minute webinar is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 30.

There has been little down time for the Urban Wood Network. Fresh off the heels of its well-received “How-to-Do Urban Wood” webinar series, UWN is organizing a special presentation focused on the new Urban Wood Toolkit assembled by our colleagues in Michigan. The free 90-minute webinar is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 30.

The Urban Wood Toolkit provides a comprehensive checklist for implementing or expanding an urban wood use network. Kudos to Jessica Simon, Margaret Miller and everyone else who participated in creating this marvelous series of documents. Read this month’s newsletter to learn how to register for this special webinar presentation.

Also in this month’s Illinois Urban Wood Update:

Read how Hoppe Tree Service of Milwaukee has taken a full-circle approach to urban forestry by launching the Urban Wood Lab, a retail outlet for lumber, slabs and wood products created from urban tree removals.

Eutree, an urban sawmill and lumber supplier based in Villa Rica, GA, was honored by Green America with a People and Planet Award.

Sawmilling “out-of-shape” logs to improve yield is the theme of a 2014 report available from the U.S Forest Service, Northern Research Station, in Princeton, WV. It’s worth a read by all of you sawyers out there.

Registration is open for the Urban Wood Toolkit Webinar, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The webinar is a free 90-minute presentation of the Urban Wood Network.

The Urban Wood Toolkit was created to walk users through the necessary components of building an urban wood use plan and establishing wood utilization efforts within a community. The Toolkit is designed to be used by municipal foresters, city managers, community volunteers or students and to arm them with information needed to advance their wood utilization plan.

Urban forests can be sustainably managed from ‘seed to sawdust’ by capturing valuable urban forest products from urban trees that need to be removed. This webinar will show different models of full circle urban forest stewardship that are used to reclaim urban forest products from those felled trees, and what strategies have been employed to support the reclamation of those urban forest products.

The Urban Wood Toolkit is divided into six bulletins:

— Bulletin #1: A Guide for Creating Urban Wood Utilization Plans

— Bulletin #2: Building Organizational & Community Support for Urban Wood

— Bulletin #3: Exploring Product Options for Urban Wood Utilization

— Bulletin #4: Establishing an Urban Log Collection and Sorting Yard

— Bulletin #5: Building Relationships with Wood Industry Partners

— Bulletin #6: Recommended Resources for Building an Urban Wood Use Plan

The Urban Wood Toolkit was written by Jessica Simons of Verdant Stewardship and Margaret Miller of Spalted Banjo Consulting. With support from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources – Forest Resource Division Forest Utilization and Marketing Program (special thanks to Dave Neumann), the Sustainable Resources Alliance and the U.S. Forest Services Northeastern Area – State and Private Forestry Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program.

SPEAKERS
Author Margaret Miller and MDNR staff will speak about the need for increasing urban wood utilization in Michigan and beyond and will walk participants through Bulletin #1.

Dave Neumann, Forest Utilization & Marketing Specialist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Dave is a relative newcomer to the urban wood community, and has worked as a private land service forester and as a silviculturist for the DNR for 15 years before joining the wood use program.

Kevin Sayers, Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator, Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Kevin has worked as the Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator at the MDNR since 2002 where he administers the state urban forestry program at the MDNR out of Lansing. Kevin is a graduate of Michigan State University (2001) with a Master’s degree in Forestry. The urban forestry program provides technical, educational and financial assistance to communities and partners throughout the state to support a variety of urban forestry activities. Prior to working for the DNR, Kevin worked in the tree nursery industry, and with the municipal forestry program at the City of Lansing.

Margaret Miller, Spalted Banjo Consulting, MI. With a resume that ranges from championing the opening of an Urbanwood Marketplace within the City of Flint to chairing the City of Grand Rapids first ever Urban Wood Utilization Sub-Committee, Margaret views wood utilization as a vital management practice, obtainable to any community. As a forester and consultant, Margaret is dedicated to viewing resource management through both an environmental and anthropocentric lens. Margaret received her degree in Forest Science from Michigan State University. As a consultant, for Spalted Banjo Consulting, Margaret strives to assist all of her clients by managing their projects and resources in the most effective and sustainable manner.

The Urban Wood Toolkit presentation is the latest in webinars presented by the Urban Wood Network. The UWN’s four-part “How to Do Urban Wood” Webinar Series is available for viewing on demand.

Scott Wunder, a custom sawyer and woodworker based in St. Charles, MO, also is a ‘wunderful’ blogger. Over the years he has tackled a variety of subjects, many of them relative to the world of urbanwood. I think one of his most interesting and germane to the urbanwood conversation is rhetorically titled, “What Is Your Log Worth?”

“The short answer,” Wunder writes, “is probably not as much as you had hoped, but you’re not here for the short answer, so I’ll give you the long one.”

If you’ve got a few minutes, it’s well worth the read.

Also featured in this issueThe UrbanWood Network concluded its four-part “How-to Do UrbanWood” webinar series with “Starting a State UrbanWood Network.” The presentation illustrates by example, featuring three speakers of Wisconsin UrbanWood. You can catch this and the other three webinars On-demand.

Since retiring from his professorship at Purdue University, Dan Cassens has more time to devote to Cassens Lumber, a custom sawmill operation in West Lafayette, IN. Cassens is the featured guest in one of the “Milling Your Own Lumber” video series presented by Poplar Woodworking in conjunction with Wood-Mizer.

Dovetail Partners, a forest consulting firm with strong ties to urbanwood markets, invites urbanwood enterprises to get listed on its “Buy Local – Wood Products Campaigns” map. Learn how in this edition of the Illinois UrbanWoodUpdate.

“Starting an Urban Wood Network,” the fourth in a series of informative presentations in the Urban Wood Networks’s “How to Do Urban Wood,” webinar series, is available on demand.

This webinar provides an overview of the industry, active networks, potential funding options, organizational structures, and guidance on how to start a state network.

Featured PresentersPaul Morrison – The Wood Cycle, Oregon, WI. Paul is owner of The Wood Cycle and a founding member of Wisconsin Urban Wood. Paul formed the Wood Cycle in 2001 with an intentional focus on what is now termed urban woodworking. The Wood Cycle employs seven full time workers; produces its own urban lumber, supplying its own custom shop, two Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations, and many other woodworkers in search of live edge slabs. Paul enjoys mentoring new urban wood businesses, with a goal of saving newly-networked members from many of the early struggles of his own experience. Paul also authored “Tree to Table: Emergence of the Urban Wood Movement.”

Dwayne Sperber – Wudeward Urban Forest Products. Wudeward Urban Forest Products Owner Dwayne Sperber has always been interested in architecture, wood, and the environment. He was introduced to urban wood nearly twenty years ago, and with this intersect of his three passions, Dwayne immediately became a major advocate for its use. He has worked tirelessly to build awareness and markets for the abundance of wood being removed due to insect, disease, or circumstance. Dwayne is a founding member of Wisconsin Urban Wood, a nonprofit focused on building networks of people and businesses that links material streams and availability of quality urban wood products and services across Wisconsin and beyond. He also serves as the Wisconsin State Lead for the Urban Wood Network and is an appointed member of the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council.

Matthew Staudenmaier – City of Eau Claire, WI. Matt is the Forestry Department Supervisor for the City of Eau Claire, WI, which is a member of Wisconsin Urban Wood. He leads a team of five full-time ISA Certified Arborists and is charged with the maintenance of over 32,000 street trees. Emerald Ash Borer and diversification of the city’s tree population will continue to be the major challenges facing his Department, along with constricted budgets and labor force. Finding creative solutions while maintaining public trust and respect has been vital to his success, including overseeing implementation of the city’s urban wood use agreement with Wisconsin Urban Wood which allows its members to utilize removed trees from the city’s urban wood yard.

Congratulations to our friends at the Greater West Town Project on reaching the quarter-century of a mark. The GWTP has trained and placed 900 low-income Chicagoans in woodworking shops since it was launched in 1993. The center has moved into larger quarters and added next generation technology over the years. But the one constant during its 25-year history is Doug Rappe, program coordinator and a long-time proponent of using urban wood. Read about Doug and his award-winning program in this month’s Illinois Urban Wood Update.

Also featured in this issueDovetail Partners continues to take the lead on developing an urban wood certification program. Lucy Cohn-Still, Urban & Community Forestry Specialist of the North Carolina Forest Service, recently authored an update on the program’s progress. “The results of this collaboration would support state urban wood groups, create messaging, and be presented to various audiences and venues,” Cohn-Still writes.

It’s hurricane season and we’ve already witness the death and destruction wreaked by Hurricanes Florence and Michael. While the immediate focus in a hurricane’s wake is search and rescue by first responders, there is also a need to remove storm damaged trees. This is where the Urban Forest Strike Team springs to action. Read a 2017 blog by Patty Matteson, Southern Research Station, Forest Service in Forestry, that still rings true today.

Finally, the Urban Wood Network presented the fourth installment of its popular “How to Do Urban Wood” webinar series on October 25. Like the previous three segments, it will soon be archived to watch on-demand. Find a link to the webinar archives in the Update.

“Producing Urban Wood Products – What, How and Where,” the third in a series of informative webinars presented by the Urban Wood Network, is available on demand.

Consumers from all over the country are joining the urban wood movement and are buying urban wood products in all shapes and sizes, from cutting boards to fine furniture to architectural lumber. This webinar will discuss examples: of urban wood products, urban lumber sourcing, and examples of local/ regional/national markets.

Representatives of urban wood utilization groups located in the Southeast, West Coast and Midwest shared their knowledge and passion with professional woodworkers attending the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta.

The free 90-minute seminar, “The Urban Wood Revolution Is Now! Come Join the Movement,” was held Aug. 24 at IWF, North America’s largest industrial woodworking event. Nearly 80 woodworkers from across North America registered for the program organized by the Urban Wood Network.

Wood-Mizer, a leading manufacturer of portable sawmills and other wood processing equipment, is the lead sponsor of this unique program. Other sponsors include Richelieu Hardware, one of North America’s largest sources of cabinet and furniture hardware, Dynabrade, manufacturer of industrial sanding equipment, and Safety Speed Manufacturing, a U.S. manufacturer of vertical panel saws, widebelt sanders and other woodworking equipment.

“A lot of great things have happened to push the movement forward since the IWF hosted the first urban wood seminar in 2016,” Christianson said. “First and foremost, larger networks like the Urban Wood Network, Urban Salvaged and Reclaimed Woods and Virginia Urban Wood did not exist. These umbrella groups are bringing local networks and individual companies and stakeholders together to do business, share best practices and raise the awareness of urban wood’s potential.

“Secondly, while Wood-Mizer once again took the lead to demonstrate its fantastic support for the urban wood movement, we were gratified to have the additional backing of major IWF exhibitors like Richelieu, Dynabrade and Safety Speed Manufacturing. Their support is further evidence that the urban wood movement is gaining traction among the mainstream woodworking industry.”

Program highlights included:

• The unique source local/buy local marketing appeal of urban wood products and the interesting stories they tell.
• The environmental advantages of utilizing urban wood.
• How to find local sources of urban wood.
• How to join or start a local urban wood network.

In addition to the individual presentations, the seminar was anchored by a robust Q&A session that afforded audience members the opportunity to get immediate responses to their questions and viewpoints from the panel and fellow seminar attendees.

About the International About the International Woodworking Fair
The International Woodworking Fair, owned by the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association and the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America, is North America’s largest industrial woodworking event. IWF 2018 is scheduled for August 22-25 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. It is the “must-attend” show for manufacturers of furniture, cabinets, flooring and other secondary wood products. IWF 2016 attracted more than 17,000 woodworking professionals and featured more than 1,100 exhibitors from the U.S., Canada and beyond. Learn more at iwfatlanta.com.2

Urban Tree Removals – Reducing Costs and Promoting Utilization, the first in a series of webinars presented by the Urban Wood Network is available on demand.

Urban forests can be sustainably managed from ‘seed to sawdust’ by capturing valuable urban forest products from urban trees that need to be removed. This webinar shows different models of full circle urban forest stewardship that are used to reclaim urban forest products from those felled trees, and what strategies have been employed to support the reclamation of those urban forest products.

Highlights include:
The social and economic benefits of urban wood utilization
How to develop and implement a removal plan
Tree removal strategies to create urban forest products
How to identify markets for urban forest products
Who to contact for assistance
How to incorporate urban wood into policy
How to partner with an urban wood network to achieve their goals

Speakers:
Matthew Staudenmaier – City of Eau Claire, WI
Matt is the Forestry Department Supervisor for the City of Eau Claire, WI. He leads a team of 5 fulltime ISA Certified Arborists and is charged with the maintenance of over 32,000 street trees. Emerald Ash Borer and diversification of the City’s tree population will continue to be the major challenges facing his Department, along with constricted budgets and labor force. Finding creative solutions while maintaining public trust and respect has been vital to his success, including overseeing implementation of the City’s urban wood use agreement with Wisconsin Urban Wood which allows WUW members to utilize removed trees from the City’s urban wood yard.

Dan Coy – City of Grand Rapids, MI
Dan is the City Forester for the City of Grand Rapids, MI where he’s worked for the past two and a half years. Dan is leading the forestry team to improve the health and vigor of the city forest to achieve 40% canopy coverage over the city through a data driven approach that makes best use of technological advances to maximize safety and efficiency in forestry operations. Prior to working in Grand Rapids, Dan developed an urban forestry program with 3 components – urban wood utilization, community tree planting funded by log sales, and workshops & education in Elkhart, IN.

Kevin LaPointe – Kansas City, MO
Kevin is the City Forester for the City of Kansas City, MO, Parks & Recreation Department where he has worked for twenty-one years. He oversees more than 415,000 city trees which line the streets and boulevards in the 320-square mile incorporated city limits of Kansas City, MO and in the 12,000 acres of land comprising 222 developed and undeveloped parks. Kevin served on the Board of the Mid-West Chapter of the ISA from 2016-2018. He is a past recipient of the Missouri Arbor Award of Excellence, and an Environmental Achievement Award for Urban Forest Preservation for his work with EAB management.

August Hoppe – Hoppe Tree Service
August is the Past President of the Wisconsin Arborist Association, Vice-Chair of the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council, and incoming board member for the Tree Care Industry Association. He is the President of Hoppe Tree Service. Hoppe’s Urban Wood Lab Store utilizes urban wood from its tree service division. The Hoppe Urban Wood Lab Store mills lumber and natural edge slabs, selling directly to its tree care clients, and maintains a retail location where urban wood products are sold.